Pumpkin beer help

[Vedder014]

I am getting ready to attempt my first pumpkin beer but not quite sure how to brew with pumpkin. I am an extract brewer so I can't put it in the mash so should I steep it with specialty grains or add it to the boil. Also, I will be using canned pumpkin, should I just pour it in and filter the wort when putting it into primary or use a Muslim bag?

One last thing, thinking about doing something different then the normal ale or porter pumpkin beer. Do you think an Irish red or brown ale would work with pumpkin?


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[mkyl428]

You can put it in either the boil or steep it with your specialty grain. I would recommend a bag putting it straight in is going to cause a lot of trub.

I think a brown ale with pumpkin sounds kind of interesting so that's my vote.

-Good luck

 

[Spartangreen]

One of the things about brewing pumpkin beers is there isn't really a lot of flavor in pumpkins. Most people associate "pumpkin" flavor with pumpkin pie, where you're tasting seasonings. (Nutmeg, Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger)

This might help
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pu...ng-recipes-tips-tricks-good-practices-131786/

 

[Auger]

When I used it in pure extract brews I dumped it all into the primary, then racked carefully off into the secondary leaving it behind (it will all settle to the bottom with the rest of trub and yeast cake). When I started partial mash, I used real pumpkin, baked it, mashed it up then did a partial mash with 1lb of 6-row (in a grain bag), then tossed the grain, added more water, added the extract and proceeded with the normal boil, then dumped the whole shebang into the primary, again racking off to a secondary leaving the mess behind.

I think you will find (especially using canned pumpkin) after mashing/steeping/boiling, its such a mushy mess that there's no real practical way to filter it out.

 

[Teromous]

I am getting ready to attempt my first pumpkin beer but not quite sure how to brew with pumpkin. I am an extract brewer so I can't put it in the mash so should I steep it with specialty grains or add it to the boil. Also, I will be using canned pumpkin, should I just pour it in and filter the wort when putting it into primary or use a Muslim bag?

One last thing, thinking about doing something different then the normal ale or porter pumpkin beer. Do you think an Irish red or brown ale would work with pumpkin?


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I would recommend just steeping it in a bag when you add your specialty grains.

Also, it's muslin bag, not Muslim bag.

 

[Vedder014]

One of the things about brewing pumpkin beers is there isn't really a lot of flavor in pumpkins. Most people associate "pumpkin" flavor with pumpkin pie, where you're tasting seasonings. (Nutmeg, Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger)



This might help

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pu...ng-recipes-tips-tricks-good-practices-131786/

Thank you for that link. thinking I might skip using pumpkin and just use the spices; sounds like a lot of work/mess and only a small amount of flavor. The sweet potato idea does sound interesting, may give that a try.


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[Vedder014]

Also, it's muslin bag, not Muslim bag.

Damn auto correct



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[rodwha]

I say roast up 7 lbs of pumpkin, put it in a muslin grain bag and drop it in the boil.

I did one last year but used 5 lbs, which wasn't enough.

 

[bruteforce]

Drinking my first pumpkin ale of the season. Mashed about 5 pound of pumpkin and used a TBSP of pumpkin pie spice. Needs a little more of the spice. Also added 1 pound of acorn flour. Gives it an amazing finish.

 

[Jerz]

The latest byo magazine has several different pumpkin beer clones... I did the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale which is still fermenting after two weeks and that recipe called for the pumpkin to be put it the boil so I just put it in my hop spider... I had to settlt for Libby's canned pumpkin puree since pumpkins weren't available.

 

[eadavis80]

If you go to Northernbrewer.com and search their Smashing Pumpkin ale, you'll see a video on how to brew a pumpkin ale extract kit with both canned pumpkin and cooked fresh pumpkin. I brewed the kit with 2 cans of canned pumpkin a few weeks ago. I added 2 cans of pumpkin and put it in a brew in a bag strainer bag and added 2 pounds of 6-row malt grains along with the kit's specialty grains and let that cook at 151 degrees for an hour. After that, I took out the bag and then did the boil for an hour as normal. It's still in the primary, but my OG was 1.063 and I took a reading yesterday and it's down to 1.020 after a week. I used Safale US-05. The gravity reading samples had great color, aroma and taste (at least as well as warm, flat beer can expect to taste). The kit also comes with a spice pack that you add in at the end of the boil.

 

[ericbw]

Don't avoid the pumpkin just because everyone says "pumpkin pie flavor is really just the spices." Use the pumpkin and spices. It's like saying a latte tastes like milk and sugar, so leave out the coffee.

Canned pumpkin will be messy, so a bag is right.

Is there a reason you can't use whole pumpkin?

You'll get a vegetable flavor that is pretty unique from the pumpkin. Canned or fresh.

 

[JohnSand]

I brewed with messy canned pumpkin this week. Of course, I don't yet know how it will turn out. Fresh pumpkins are not yet ripe, by the time they are (October?) it will be late to brew a Pumpkin Ale.

 

[ericbw]

I brewed with messy canned pumpkin this week. Of course, I don't yet know how it will turn out. Fresh pumpkins are not yet ripe, by the time they are (October?) it will be late to brew a Pumpkin Ale.

It's funny how you can't really brew a fall beer with this year's ingredients. Same with summer fruit beers.

 

[cjgenever]

You don't get much flavor from the pumpkin. The other problem is it has to be mashed to convert. Otherwise you're just adding starch to the beer. This can add some mouthfeel, but really it's kind of pointless.

I'd either do a partial mash our use some wheat. The wheat should add some proteins for a fuller mouthfeel. or skip that all and add some dextrin powder. Throw a chunk of pumpkin in the boil so you can tell people you used real pumpkin.

All the flavor comes from the spices. The pumpkin adds a rounded mouthfeel and the beer is watery without it. The spices really require a base beer that sits on the pallet, not washes over it.

If you use pumpkin make sure to use the small baking pumpkins, not the large jackolantern ones.

 

[cjgenever]

If using canned pumpkin make sure it doesn't have preservatives. They turn into bad flavors. The same goes for mixed spices. I.e. I heard the McCormick pie spice has a preservative.

 

[ericbw]

You don't get much flavor from the pumpkin. The other problem is it has to be mashed to convert. Otherwise you're just adding starch to the beer. This can add some mouthfeel, but really it's kind of pointless.

I'd either do a partial mash our use some wheat. The wheat should add some proteins for a fuller mouthfeel. or skip that all and add some dextrin powder. Throw a chunk of pumpkin in the boil so you can tell people you used real pumpkin.

All the flavor comes from the spices. The pumpkin adds a rounded mouthfeel and the beer is watery without it. The spices really require a base beer that sits on the pallet, not washes over it.

If you use pumpkin make sure to use the small baking pumpkins, not the large jackolantern ones.

Pumpkin can definitely add flavor, and it is different than the spice flavor. It is just not true to say that all the flavor comes from the spice.

You would be better off mashing to convert starch, but I think pumpkin is pretty sweet on its own, so I an guessing there is sugar in it. I know that roasted pumpkin is sweet.

 

[JohnSand]

Well, I should be okay, because I baked and mashed the pumpkin, and used plenty.

 

[Auger]

You can get plenty of flavor from pumpkins, but from what I've tasted, its a lot different than most commercial pumpkin beers. The pumpkin on its own is more of a vegetal (in a good way), squashy flavor which in a lot of cases seems to be completely overwhelmed by cinnamon and nutmeg spice flavors in commercial examples.

 

[ericbw]

You can get plenty of flavor from pumpkins, but from what I've tasted, its a lot different than most commercial pumpkin beers. The pumpkin on its own is more of a vegetal (in a good way), squashy flavor which in a lot of cases seems to be completely overwhelmed by cinnamon and nutmeg spice flavors in commercial examples.

Yep. Just like a pumpkin pie should taste like pumpkin (squash) with spices, the beer should taste like pumpkin with spices. That's why I don't like it when people say you don't get flavor from the actual pumpkin!

 

[Vedder014]

Thanks for all the help. I'm going to try and find some baking pumpkins, and if not, use the canned pumpkin. Hopefully I can brew this Sunday while watching football. Settled on trying a brown Ale and calling it Siamese Dream Pumpkin Brown Ale.


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[rodwha]

I made mine with the backbone of a brown. I'd say go on the lighter side to better showcase the pumpkin and spices.